Style Tips for the New York Woman

The great thing about New York City (no, not the fact that you can stop a cab at any given hour) is the fact that the change of seasons means we ladies get to play with our closets. I’ve made a list of the top tips no NYC woman should live without:

1. Own a Scarf, or Two: Contrary to popular belief scarfs aren’t just for cold winter nights. Make it your prerogative to own a lighter scarf for the warmer weather. Spring means lighter fabrics and fun floral prints. I’ve made it an obsessive hobby to own many scarves, made of many fabrics for any kind of weather!

2. Makeup is ALWAYS a DO: Whether you go natural or have fun with it, don’t neglect your makeup box, show it some love by updating it with seasonal necessities.  This includes: a fail-proof eyeliner, an amazing shade of RED lipstick, and a great bronzer (for the morning we wish we hadn’t drank so much the night before).

3. Have Black: Funny but true, us New Yorkers LOVE our neutrals, better yet, we love our Blacks. From a black trench coat to the ever-important LBD.  Own some black attire, and let the New Yorker in you out.

4. Mix and Match: Have fun with your wardrobe. Mix tweeds with suede and mix stripes with floral. Once you get in the habit of mixing and matching, you truly begin to understand what it is to have “fun with your closet.”

5. Own The Heel: Owning a great pair of heels is essential for the New York woman. 3 inch to 6 inch, the higher the better. But ladies, you don’t have to compromise comfort for style.

6. Layer it Up: New York women are experts at layering. We love to wear a few shirts of different lengths and we love to pair vests and jackets. Layering is a must, so be good at it!

7. Denim IS everything: We New Yorkers LOVE our jeans. Own a few pairs in different styles and washes. Dark washes always dress up the outfit while a lighter wash is a more casual approach to denim.

Now ladies! Dress Up!

Who will the “It” Girl for November be? You choose!

Keep Your Eyeliner ON

Ladies, I know how tough it is to spend endless minutes in front of the mirror achieving the perfect cat eye to see smudge away after an hour of intense disco dancing in a hot club. Been there, done that. Looked in the mirror, and saw a raccoon. I tried everything the magazine told me, I have tested every method possible to keep my eyeliner put (after all it is the most important part of my makeup). Well these are the tips to get the perfect eyeliner to STAY on.

PRIMER: apply primer to the ENTIRE eye area. This includes the bottom rim of your eye if you intend on applying eyeliner to your bottom lids.

GEL EYELINER: The eyeliner that is easiest to maneuver, apply and stay put is gel eyeliner from a pot. Remember, the brush you use will make all the difference!

POWDER FOUNDATION: after priming, apply powder foundation around your entire eye, make sure the foundation matches the exact color of your skin. The powder will give the gel something to adhere to.

APPLY: Go on catwoman, start applying your eyeliner.

COAT: Last but not least, coat your work of art eyeliner with BeneFit’s Shelaq Magic liquid (available at Sephora).  This liquid can be used on anything from your eyes to your lips to lock in the makeup for good. A friend of mine did an underwater photo-shoot and coated the makeup with this sealer.

Try it, and you can thank me later!

Sound OFF: REAL Women’s Opinions on Quality/ Price of Makeup

So I am part of a Fabulous Facebook group simply called “The Makeup Group.”  I am a super-makeup enthusiast and this group serves as a gateway for real women to share their real tips, reviews and opinions on anything and everything related to the world of makeup.

We had an interesting post about the value of makeup in relation to its quality. Some women feel that more expensive makeup is worth it while others think the price of makeup doesn’t necessarily determine the quality of it.  Y’ know often times we dish out $30 on mascara hoping we’ll get the “drag queen” lashes and often times are left disappointed.

Well here are some of the views women in the Makeup Group had on Price/ Quality of makeup:

When it comes to makeup I personally don’t think that price matches quality.- Makeup Group Member

Most of the times yes, to me at least. But there are exceptions- Me

It’s the quality of the product that matters to me. It could be a penny! If it works and doesn’t give me an elergic reaccion I can care less about brand- Makeup Group Member

… so ladies and gentlemen who wear makeup or apply it, does the price of makeup truly coincide with the quality of it?

Music Exclusive Interview: Yerr

Musical mastermind and beat-genius, Yerr, has just emailed me exclusive promo material. This West VA, native who calls the city of Miami home, is definitely on his way to blowing up! His intense array of beats and production are a demonstration of his passion for music but also his comprehension of sound.

Want to know more about Young Yerr? I have some exclusive info straight from the source! Check out our chat, and find out what is next for Yerr, what he thinks is missing in music and exciting new partnerships:

Me: You’re from West Virginia?

Yerr: yea I was raised there
by way of Boston

Me: at what age did you get to Miami? And why MIA out of all places?

Yerr: 17 …. loved the environment scenery and city life it was enticing but yet challenging

Me: I bet! and my question is this promo? is it for a Mixtape push? What is the next step?

Yerr: I’m just in the studio everyday working diligently trying to master my craft and working on not only being the best I can be… but working towards becoming an Innovator currently I have a partnership with SoulKatz Productions who have done work with Britney Spears, G-Unit, Wale, Mario and More

Me: And among so many producers, who are young and talented, how do you think you will innovate music? What do you think is missing?

Yerr: I want to to innovate music by doing things unorthodox and simply doing what I feel is “Hot” or “cool”… at a time I used to be worried about conforming my self to hip hop rules or radio … but now I’m just doing what I feel inside my mind … I feel like a lot of essence and creativity is missing a lot of artists feel like they have to make certain records to appeal to a mass amount of people to succeed or get radio play which I feel restricts creativity and artistry

Me: Who has influenced you in your music and style?

Yerr: Everybody from all the legendary greats to relevant artists and producers today… But I would definitely say Swizz Beatz & Ryan Leslie 2 extremely creative guys

Me: Definitely! well I am excited to see where you go, after watching you murder on the MPC1000 video there is no doubt in my mind you can make it.

And here I leave you with the famous MPC1000 video I am talking about, he slays a Meek Mill ft Rick Ross song!

Artist You Should Know: Yerr

Hey Guys, I am back on a truly special mission! Those who follow my blog know I am about fashion, music and more music! This is why I had to come and share with you guys an artist I am sure you will love if like me you are all about young, creative, up-and-coming musicians!

He goes by the name of Yerr, not only does he master the piano, he creates beats that range from sexy to hype! If this short film is any indication of how far he can take his creativity in his music, there is a lot to be said!

Check out his just-released short film. Not only does it give you a glimpse into his person, it gives you a taste of his music and leaves you wanting more!

Make sure you follow him on Twitter too: @YerrBeats
Oh and follow me, duh: PRaiStyle